Insel-Brauerei

HOW WE BREW - OUR UNIQUE BREWING METHOD

We only brew our own creations, inspired by little-known, forgotten historical beer styles and the international beer tradition.

We only brew using bottle conditioning, natural hops, specialty malts, and open fermentation to produce natural, unfiltered beers.

We only brew the beers that we like to drink ourselves – with opulent foam head, aromatic bouquets, and a uniquely intense flavour experience.

BOTTLE CONDITIONING - THE TRADITIONAL METHOD

We brew according to the traditional method of bottle conditioning. The top-fermented beers are given a dosage of dextrose and ripen in the temperature-controlled ripening chamber at 25 °C for at least 10 days after bottling. For our Insel Pilsner – the newest addition to our range and the first bottom-fermented beer by our brewery – we use wort for the bottle conditioning. This method results in a unique depth of flavour.

The very fine-bubbled carbon dioxide is perfectly integrated into the body producing a stable head in the glass. Bottle conditioning ensures that there is no oxygen in the filled bottle, and in combination with the natural paper as light protection, guarantees the special, long-lasting freshness of our rare beers.

NATURAL HOPS - WHOLE CONES – FULL FLAVOUR

We use natural hops in the brewhouse. This enables us to produce the best bitterness with the finest bouquet using the most natural brewing method. Depending on the beer style, we use hop varieties from around the world, e.g. from the Hallertau region, Japan, New Zealand, or Australia.

THE TEMPERATURE-CONTROLLED HOP DISPENSER

We brew using a temperature-controlled hop dispenser – one of its kind in Germany. This enables us to get the best bouquet from the natural hop cones.

SPECIALTY MALTS - THE MIXTURE IS THE KEY

We brew using specialty malts from barley, wheat, oats, and rye which are responsible for the velvety to creamy texture of our rare beers. With the different types of roasted malt we brew beers from straw yellow and chestnut brown to deep black, creating exciting bouquets, e.g. of espresso or bitter chocolate.

OPEN FERMENTATION - THE SECRET OF THE RARE BEERS

Our rare beers ferment in shallow, open fermentation vessels. This is the only method which ensures that our yeasts can unfold their complex aroma and flavour potential, completely without hydrostatic pressure, e.g., fruity (citrus, apricot, and pineapple-like) or spicy (dried fruit, rum-like, or peppery). Two different yeasts are employed for each beer, e.g. abbey yeast or Bière Brut yeast.

All our beers undergo three fermentation steps: main fermentation in open vessels, secondary fermentation in tanks for the first CO2 enrichment, and the third fermentation in the bottle with a second yeast for the perfect taste, foam stability, and a very fine carbonation.